Throwing shoes at political leaders to register protest is quite in fashion these days. A 28-year-old youth hurled a shoe at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during an election rally in Ahmedabad today.
Security personnel immediately detained the shoe thrower and he was taken to city crime branch office.
The incident took place few minutes after the PM started his address. Manmohan Singh visited Ahmedabad for the first time in connection with ongoing general elections.
An urbane looking youth sitting in the front row hurled a shoe towards the dias. However, the shoe failed to reach the dias and soon the youth was taken into custody by security forces. Unfazed by the incident, Manmohan Singh continued his speech.
The thrower was identified as Hitesh Chauhan residing in Bapunagar area of the city, which is largely inhibited by diamond workers. As per the available details, Hitesh is a student of computer engineering. Those present at the rally were of the view that the shoe was hurled to get "publicity".
Hurling shoes at politicians seem to have become a way of showing protest during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Earlier, shoes were thrown at Home Minister P Chidambaram and BJP's prime ministerial candidate LK Advani.
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The BJP today has strongly condemned the shoe throwing incident at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's rally and has termed it as an unestablished means of protest in a democracy.